Flying with a power wheelchair

[silvergoldberry]

So I booked us for a Free Dining trip for December and was planning on driving from Philadelphia.

In the meantime, our wheelchair van needs to go in the shop again. (The Air ride system has failed for the 2nd time in 2 months. They had it fixed for about a month.)

Then I got a low fare alert email that worked out for our dates, so now instead of packing everything into our van and driving from Philadelphia to Orlando, we're going to fly. I'm very happy about this change because once I did the math, it's actually cheaper for us to fly and I wasn't looking forward to 18+ hours in a vehicle.

So we've never flown with Jack and his powerchair. It's a new powerchair that was custom ordered for him, has gel cells, etc.

We're flying US Air.

So let me get this straight:
We check the power chair at the airline counter along with our checked baggage, get a manual wheelchair to get through security and the gate. Transfer Jack to the narrow airline wheelchair at the gate to get him on the plane and into a seat (I got an aisle seat for him both ways) and reverse this process when we arrive in Orlando.

Magical Express? I don't remember seeing whether the big tour type buses they use are wheelchair accessible.

We also will be carrying his medications, he's insulin dependent, but I assume that security has certainly seen that before. We have little evaporating cooler bags for transporting the insulin.

Jack's chair also has a big 24v charger that is separate from the chair. Can I fasten that to the chair with wire ties or something so it can be checked along with the chair and not be subject to the weight costs of our checked bags?

Thanks folks!

 

[Cheshire Figment]

One thing to consider is to "gate check" the chair instead of at ticketing. The people at ticketing will give you a special tag which you would attach to the chair. You will take it all the way down to the aircraft entrance itself and then have him transfer to an aisle chair. Leave the power chair in Freewheel. They will take it and it will be the last item loaded in with the baggage and the first item out. They will return it to the aircraft door.

Make sure when you turn it over to them everything thayt can be damaged is either removed or securely parked and taped down (such as footrests).

Since the charger is medical equipment, it is not considered in any computation of either checked or carryon luggage. You may want to attach it firmly to the seat when you get to the gate. Juast remember, that any hard attachments you make when checking the chair will have to be undone when you get it in Orlando.

As far as ME is concerned, let them know in advance you are traveling with a power chair and remind them when you check in to the ME counter in Orlando. Some of their buses are lift equipped and they always try to have one availabe within a few minutes.

 

[silvergoldberry]

As always, you folks on this board know EVERYTHING!

I can certainly see the advantage of gate checking the wheelchair. However I have a stupid question. The powerchair is VERY heavy.

If we check the chair at the gate how do they get it down to the cargo area, I see them load strollers and things from the gate, but they just carry them down the steps. I can't imagine less than 3 guys getting this thing down stairs and we sure don't want it to be damaged.

I'll call Magical Express and let them know of our changes.

 

[SueM in MN]

As always, you folks on this board know EVERYTHING!

I can certainly see the advantage of gate checking the wheelchair. However I have a stupid question. The powerchair is VERY heavy.

If we check the chair at the gate how do they get it down to the cargo area, I see them load strollers and things from the gate, but they just carry them down the steps. I can't imagine less than 3 guys getting this thing down stairs and we sure don't want it to be damaged.

I'll call Magical Express and let them know of our changes.

I know that my DD's power wheelchair is around 267 pounds without the batteries! So, yes, power wheelchairs are very heavy.
They would take it around to an elevator, rather than trying to carry it down the stairs.
Here's a link to US Air's web page about travel with mobility disabilities. If you look in the disABILITIES FAQs thread, there is some other travel information that will be useful for you; post #15 has air travel information, including a link to the TSA's web page about travel with medications. It also includes some information about using an aisle chair on the plane. Post #16 includes information about DME, including pictures of the lift bus.

 

[silvergoldberry]

Sue, thanks!

I glanced at the US Air site last night, but I'm having trouble printing their form, but I've got time to figure that out.

And just before you answered I was finally looking through the FAQs thread more closely and I think I get it now.

What a great job you guys have done in gathering so much information!

If I hadn't started reading these threads about a month ago, I would have never thought we could tackle flying with Jack.

But the combination of knowing it was possible, having the van break again and getting a good price on airfare was just the confluence of events we needed.

I think we'll do a gate check then, Jack would really be more comfortable in his own chair going through the airports. He's very independent and hates being pushed, but he doesn't have the strength to wheel himself with one arm.

Thanks again!

 

[mechurchlady]

Sue did not mention it this time but she takes a pillow case and as she removes stuff from her daughter's chair it immediately goes into the pillowcase. That way all parts are in one place and then can be carried, for free, onboard.

Tell the people at the gate that he is in a chair so they will board him first. He may end up being the last person off the plane or the first. I had to wait on one flight as there were no people to help with the disabled. The stewards will let you know when it is time. The airports use standard big clunky wheelchairs except for the tiny aisle chairs. I actually got out on one incline and put the bags in the chair as the poor girl was huffing and puffing. He definitely would be more comfortable doing a gate check.

 

[pugdog]

At MCO you will be the last one off. They need to bring your chair from the plane back to the main building for the elevator and then out to your plane. We have always taken a ratchit tiedown strap to tighten the charger onto the chair. Also try to make sure the chair is not higher then 32 inches if you can. Most plane cargo doors are at most that high. If you chair is higher then they might have to tip it to get it in. On DW chair we just take the back off and then it will fit thru any cargo door on any plane. As the others have said, if you can take it off the chair, do. One less thing to break or get lost. also if you can't take the back off atleast take the head rest off. We didn't one year and they ended up bending the back of the chair because of it.
And number one thing to remember is to have fun when you get there.

 

[silvergoldberry]

At MCO you will be the last one off. They need to bring your chair from the plane back to the main building for the elevator and then out to your plane. We have always taken a ratchit tiedown strap to tighten the charger onto the chair. Also try to make sure the chair is not higher then 32 inches if you can. Most plane cargo doors are at most that high. If you chair is higher then they might have to tip it to get it in. On DW chair we just take the back off and then it will fit thru any cargo door on any plane. As the others have said, if you can take it off the chair, do. One less thing to break or get lost. also if you can't take the back off atleast take the head rest off. We didn't one year and they ended up bending the back of the chair because of it.
And number one thing to remember is to have fun when you get there.

Thanks!
I just read through the manual and took the back off to see how it works. It's a Permobil that lifts and reclines so I was a little afraid, but it was really easy.
So then what do you do with the back, take it on board with you for the overhead bins or give it to them to put in the cargo? It's kind of big.

 

[pugdog]

Thanks!
I just read through the manual and took the back off to see how it works. It's a Permobil that lifts and reclines so I was a little afraid, but it was really easy.
So then what do you do with the back, take it on board with you for the overhead bins or give it to them to put in the cargo? It's kind of big.

DW's chair is a Permobil too. We just take it off and bring it on and place it above. She has the Corpus seating with a head rest and it fits in the over head bins without any problems. The 3 little clips and it's off is nice. Then it is the correct height for the plane with out having to worry about them tipping it.
We take on board her back, seat cushion and tray table. Her charger fits on the back and we strap it on so it's one less thing we have to carry.
I also made a sign that we place in the empty seat showing them how to place it in free wheel and that there are 4 tiedown points for them to use to secure the chair in the hold.

 

[silvergoldberry]

Great!
Thanks so much. We have the Corpus seating, too. Those 3 little clips and that's it! I was amazed.

I love the sign idea, too. I'm learning so much!

I was reading the manual and it recommends wrapping the controller in bubble wrap or something to prevent damage. We could do that or it's only a few bolts I could take off in a few minutes with the allen wrench and carry it on with us.

I feel so much less anxious about this now. You guys are great!

 

[SueM in MN]

Great!
Thanks so much. We have the Corpus seating, too. Those 3 little clips and that's it! I was amazed.

I love the sign idea, too. I'm learning so much!

I was reading the manual and it recommends wrapping the controller in bubble wrap or something to prevent damage. We could do that or it's only a few bolts I could take off in a few minutes with the allen wrench and carry it on with us.

I feel so much less anxious about this now. You guys are great!

We have not taken DD's power wheelchair by plane yet, but taking the controller off and wrapping it in bubble wrap was recommended by the wheelchair tech. He said the controller is the most fragile and most expensive part of the wheelchair.